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model T1, 0. OLIVER.

Life Preserving Mattress, No. 237,693. Patent ed Feb. 15,1881.

NFETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D C.

Uwrrn A'rEN-T rrrcnit THOMAS O. OLIVER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LlFE-PRESERVING MATTRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,693, dated February15, 1881.

Application filed January 10, 1881. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS O. OLIVER, of New York, county and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLife-SavingApplianoes,of which the following is a specification.

The life-saving appliance forming the subject of this inventionconsists, primarily, of the combination of bamboo canes, or othersuitable hollow vegetable tubes, divided into airtight compartments, anda mattress, said tubes being used in substitution for the slats of thesleeping-berths of vessels on which the mattress rests, the mattress andthe bamboo slats being connected together, to be used as a life savingraft in case of accident. The bamboo canes are prepared for this purposeby cutting them into lengths equal to the length of the mattress, andplugging and cementing such of their ends as cannot be formed by thenatural joints of the canes, thus making hollow airtight slats, whichare arranged side by side, and connected together, by means of suitablebands or belts, in such a manner as to be readily folded fortransportation, &c. \Nhen the slats are unfolded for use as asleeping-berth they are firmlysecured to the mattress so as to form apart thereof, thereby providing a perfect lifesaving raft, always athand to be thrown overboard in emergencies, with sufficient buoyancy tosupport any one person clear of the water,

or to prevent from drowning a number of persons who may take hold oflooped straps secured to the outside bamboos for this purpose, all ofwhich will be fully understood by referring to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of a mattress secured to the bamboo slats. Fig.2 is aplan view of the bamboo slats, showing the mattress removed therefrom.Fig.3 is a transverse sectional view of the device; and Fig. 4 is anenlarged transverse sectional view of a portion of the slats, to moreclearly show the manneremployed in connecting them together. The bamboocanes arecutto suitablelengths, the natural joints of the canes beingused for the ends of the slats a a, where it is possible to do sowithout excessive waste of the raw material. All the open ends haveplugs fitted therein, which are further secured by being cemented, so asto make the canes perfectly air-tight. As many prepared canes are placedside by side as will correspond to the width of the mattress with whichthey are to be used; and they are secured together by the broad bands I)I), which pass under the alternate slat-s a a, and over the otheralternate slats a a, and by the narrow bands or straps c c, which passthrough slits made in the broad bands b b, and over the alternate slatsa a, and under the other alternate slats a a, as shown at Figs. 2 and4c. The ends of the bands I) b are firmly secured to the straps 0 0,either by means of sewing or riveting, thereby holding the slats a asecurely together, and providing a flexible fastening between them topermit of their being folded. There may be as many of these connectingbands and straps as desired, but three of each I find sufficient to holdthe slats together. One end of each of the straps o c is provided with abuckle, d, and the other end, 0, is sufficiently long to pass over thetop of the mattress 6, when it is placed on the slats, and through thebuckle d, to securely hold the mattress and slats together, as shown atFigs. 1 and 3. The ends 0 c of the straps, which lie over the top of themattress e, are adapted to be used as holdfasts, enabling the personfloating on the mattress to retain his or her position by passing thelegs and arms under them.

Life-lines are provided by means of the straps f j, which are attachedto the two outside bamboo slats a a in a series of loops, by beingpassed around the slats, as shown, and held firmly thereto by means ofeyelets or rivets.

It is obvious that the bamboo or other canes may be connected togetherby other means than that shown to constitute a life-saving raft andberth-slats, and that the same may be used as a raft independent of themattress; but I. prefer to combine the two, as the mattress of itselfwould have a certain amount of buoyancy, and passengers would not beliable to neglect to provide themselves with a lifesaving appliance inthe excitement due to serious accidents, if they understood that such adevice were to be found in the mattress upon which they rest. I

I am aware of the patent of J. P. McLean of December 7, 1858, No.22,258, in which there are shown and described tubes made of alternatelayers of wood and canvas united by some form of cement; but such tubesare not divided into compartments, and hence they differ essentiallyfrom mine.

I am also aware that metallic tubes divided into compartments have beenused for various purposes; but I am not aware that tubes of bamboo orother canes which are divided by nature into compartments, or othervegetable or woody tubes divided artificially, have ever been used incombination with a mattress for the purpose of forming a life-savin gappliance.

That the employment of a tube divided as herein described,eithernaturally orartitieially, is of great utility will be seen when it isstated that in the event of an injury to said tube be tween the dividingdiaphragms the buoyancy of the entire tube will not be destroyed, butonly that of the portion or section thereof thus affected. In thisrespect my tubes differ materially from those used in the casesmentioned, and from any with which I am aequainted.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In a life-saving appliance for vessels, the berth-slats, consistingof hollow air-tight tubes of vegetable or woody substance, as described,which are divided into air-tight compartments, in combination with amattress secured thereto, substantially as set forth.

2. A life-saving device composed of a series of bamboo canes plugged andcemented at their open ends, and connected together by means of broadbands provided with slits and narrow bands interlaced therethrough,substantially as and for the purpose hercinbefore set forth.

3. In combination, the series of air-tight bamboo canes secured togethersubstantially in the manner described, the mattress fastened thereto,and the looped life-lines secured to the two outside bamboo canes,substantiallyas and for the purpose hereinbetbre set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day ofJanuary, A. D. 1881.

T1108. 0. OLIVER.

Vitnesses:

H. D. WlLLIAMS, JAMES H. TORR.

